NO MATTER WHAT

One Sunday morning between the morning services at my church I ventured toward the men’s room to make my morning a little more comfortable; if you know what I mean? Actually the doorman asked me how I was doing and I replied with the usual, “Good. Good.”

Then I said, “Actually, I will be doing a little better once I visit the Men’s Room.”
He chuckled and nodded in understanding. Then I continued on my way to that beautiful, helpful, necessary room which

we all take for granted and
very few express thankfulness for;
the bathroom.

Now, some of what I have to communicate here is of a bit of a personal nature, so I will try my best to be discreet, but I feel that the question that came to mind in the men’s room that morning, is something WE WHO SAY THAT we seek to love and serve ‘others’ need to ask ourselves regularly. That Question is ‘How committed to others are you?’

When I walked into the room there was already a young man standing at the first fixture taking care of his business so I proceeded to the first stall, knocked on the closed door and, when there was no answer, I began to enter.

It was then that I heard
 a high pitched, raspy,
kind of whiny voice protesting and saying,
“Hey!,… Hey!!”

Immediately I said,
“Oh I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
I was so embarrassed.

But I really was in a hurry… I think I had to usher that morning… I can’t really remember why the rush. But I was in a hurry so I moved to the fixture where the boy had been standing to ‘move along’ and ‘move out’.

As I was standing there I heard that same high pitched, raspy, kind of whiny voice again. It came from a blind man in our church. He is a very independent man, so self sufficient that he is rude at times, but also so needy and lacking some manners that he is demanding at times also. He said, in his unique tone,

“CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!”

I ignored him because I didn’t know what he wanted,
couldn’t even begin to guess,
I knew when I almost walked in on him that he was sitting down
and frankly, I didn’t want to be the one to help him.

And then I heard it again, “CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!”

But then I heard another voice. I don’t know if it was the still small voice of God; I can usually recognize that voice. I don’t know if it was conscience or just my own prideful self saying, “How committed to others are you?” I knew what the voice was driving at, and I didn’t like it, but I responded rather reluctantly with,

“I can help you.
What is it that you need?”

The man said,
“I CAN’T GET THE PAPER OFF THE ROLL, IT’S STUCK!!!”
Oh thank God! Is that all?

I said,
“Well I can help you,
keep trying and when I’m finished with my business,
if you haven’t got it, I will come in and get it.”

This all happened in a matter of seconds mind you. I was not done yet and then I heard his voice again. This time an excited voice, “I GOT IT! I GOT IT!!!!”

Oh Thank You God!
“That’s good. That’s good.” I said.
I was so very relieved myself.
But you know what?
I would have helped him.
I didn’t want to.
I didn’t like it.
 I wished it wasn’t me. But I would have helped him.
What if he had needed help with something else?
I determined before I said, “I can help.”
that I would help him with 'whatever',
or find someone that could.
I committed myself to help another brother NO MATTER WHAT.

While I was sitting in church I thought of what had just happened.
What his question may have entailed.
And I looked around the sanctuary to see if I could see him anywhere.
For a long while I couldn’t. I had thought to go back and see if he was still stuck in the stall.
I looked around some more and was relieved to see him sitting where before a few heads had him blocked from my view. And after that I only thought of the incident a few times. But the question, “How really committed to the idea of ‘others’?” comes to mind constantly for me.

How about you?

How committed are you do the idea of ‘others’?

You know this Christian life…

It’s not about me and
it’s not about you.
It’s about Jesus and
Jesus is all about OTHERS!

He must increase in our lives as we serve OTHERS
and WE must decrease as we give up our self serving ways.

How committed are you do the idea of ‘others’?

“He must increase,
WE must decrease.”